IN CONVERSATION WITH A CEO F ra n k L o n a r d e l l i T a l k s B u s i n e s s , V i l l a i n s a n d Th e P a t h A h e a d
by Rennay Craats
S
itting down with successful CEOs to talk business is always illuminating as they offer a peek behind the curtain at what makes their companies tick. But Frank Lonardelli isn’t your average CEO and what’s behind his curtain reveals equal parts brilliant business acumen and philosophical reflection. He speaks eloquently about business and the economy as I’d expect, but pivots adroitly to topics of politics, leadership, the challenges of the recession and what might be waiting on the other side of it. He quips if I wanted to speak with some “really successful CEOs, he’s got some contacts.” Frank’s Arlington Street Investments is a high-profile real estate company responsible for developing some of the most prolific urban assets in Calgary and Kelowna. The latest is the audacious program he calls the Arlington Street 17th Avenue Urban Master Plan.
Photo by EWAN PHOTO VIDEO
“I didn’t think about buying a building and converting it. I thought about changing an entire corridor,” he says. “We chose the highest profile street with the highest pedestrian walk-through traffic that would come with the most eyeballs. That’s exciting because it’s the most difficult; I’d say it’s a noteworthy endeavor.”
Arlington Street Investments | 10 Years
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